home back to band page	The Soap Box - Clive Nolan April 1999
	Last year Clive suggested us to have a new article in The Cage. ‘Okay’, we said. And we asked the other band members to write down their ‘Soap Box’. And they did. Last December it was Clive’s turn and guess what happened… he was too busy and didn’t have any inspiration! ‘No problem’, we told him, ‘’but you’re still the next in line’. And here it is: Clive’s Soap Box about ‘being a fan’.  I guess I have so many strong opinions about so many different things, I've put off doing this soapbox business... terrible really since it was my suggestion in the first place. To be hon-est, I'm still not sure what I should write about.... War? Mick Pointers bad habits? Religion? Tarquin's hatred of certain haircuts? Poverty? Paul's invisible Orb? Crime? John's penchant for ladies clothes? Drugs? Cats? Music? Music? Key-boards? Jack Daniel's? Let's face it, the possibilities are simply endless!  So, I'm going to talk about Rick Wakeman: I was lucky enough to get invited to the official EMI launch of Rick's new album Return To The Centre Of The Earth, which was held at the Natural History Museum in London. It was a truly big event, and I met up there with Oliver Wakeman (who I am working with). We mingled and moved around a veritable galaxy of stars from Music, stage and screen. This all paled into insignificance when the real star appeared... moving slowly down a very long escalator to loud music and much applause... yes... the man himself... Rick Wakeman!  There are very few times when I feel like a pure fan, but this was one of them. For me, he was the main reason I chose the path that I did, and in his field, as far as I am concerned, he is the best. The party continued, as Rick worked his way through a swathe of TV, radio and press interviews... what a pro-fessional! I'm only sorry I didn't get a chance to speak to him that night... just to thank him for the pleasure and inspiration he has given me. I know those things are important to him, as they would be to any musician that cares about what he does. So, I'll do it now (Oliver - don't read this bit)... Rick Wakeman - You rock!!!!! Love, Clive